First up, Deadline reports that Rooney Mara will take the lead role as Mary Magdalene in a movie from director Garth Davis, who the actress has recently worked with on the upcoming "Lion," co-starring Nicole Kidman. Previously portrayed by Barbara Hershey in Martin Scorsese‘s "The Last Temptation Of Christ" and by Monica Bellucci in Mel Gibson‘s "ThePassion Of The Christ" (among other versions), Davis’ film will track life of Jesus’ devoted follower, who saw him crucified and resurrected. The untitled film has a script from Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett, and production will begin in the summer.

Next, Screen Daily has revealed that Keira Knightleyis gearing up for the lead role in "Colette." The project has some solid bona-fides, with a script from "Still Alice" pair Wash Westmoreland (who will also direct) and the late Richard Glatzer, and the producers of "Carol," "Nightcrawler" and "Whiplash" backing the effort. The film will detail the life of the Nobel Prize-nominated French writer who rode the edges of social and sexual taboos of her time.

Promising stuff from both projects, and ones we’ll be keeping an eye on.